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Objective:To investigate the influence of ferri ion on the growth, reproduction and energy metabolism of Leptospira interrogans ( L. interrogans), and to identify whether the LA_2690 and LA_3598 gene products functioned as ferritin and ferroxidase. Methods:Petroff-Hausser counting method was used to analyze the influence of ferri ion deficiency on the growth and reproduction of L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai strain 56601 in EMJH medium. Spectrophotometry and Chemiluminescence method was used to detect whether ferri ion deficiency inhibited the synthesis of DNA and ATP in L. interrogans. The structures and functions of L. interrogans LA_2690 and LA_3598 genes were analyzed using bioinformatic softwares. Prokaryotic expression systems for LA_2690 and LA_3598 genes were established and the target proteins, rLep2690 and rLep3598, were extracted by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The ferroxidase activity of rLep2690 and rLep3598 was detected by spectrophotometry. After L. interrogans strain 56601 was used to infect human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and monocytes (THP-1), changes in the expression of LA_2690 and LA_3598 genes at transcription level were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Results:In the ferri ion-absent EMJH medium, the growth and reproduction of L. interrogans as well as the DNA and ATP synthesis levels were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). The products of LA_2690 and LA_3598 genes were predicted as bacterioferritin (Bfr) and DNA-binding ferritin containing ferroxidase diiron centers, but the latter lacked the heme-binding site and ferroxidase core. The prokaryotic expression systems for LA_2690 and LA_3598 genes could efficiently express the target recombinant proteins. Both the purified rLep2690 and rLep3598 showed a single band on SDS-PAGE. The ferroxidase activity of rLep2690 and rLep3598 was 1 238.619 U/L and 60.052 U/L, respectively. The expression of LA_2690 and LA_3598 genes of L. interrogans at mRNA level was significantly elevated during infection of the two types of cells ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Ferri ion participates in the growth and reproduction of L. interrogans as well as the synthesis of DNA and ATP. LA_2690 and LA_3598 genes were essential for L. interrogans to infect cells, and the product of LA_2690 gene possessed a stronger ferroxidase activity.
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Objective@#To discuss the potential toxic target organ and the toxic effects and mechanisms of tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) on SD rats.@*Methods@#40 female SD rats weaning from milk for 21 days, weighted (50±2.3)g were selected as subjects and marked by the weight. They were randomly divided into 4 groups, namely control group, 50 (L), 100 (M) and 250 (H) mg·kg-1·d-1 dose of TCEP group. Each group has 10 rats, and administrated the corresponding dose of drug or vehicle by mouth, quaque die for 60 days. All rats were sacrificed after the last administration. The livers and kidneys were dyed by HE for pathological observation; and the blood samples were collected to analyze the biochemical index. H1-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR)-based metabolomics methods coupling with histopathogy examination were used to investigate the toxic effects of TCEP.@*Results@#Inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatic necrosis were observed in the liver of TCEP-treated rats. Inflammatory cells invaded and calcification/ossification foci were also found in renal of TCEP-treated rats and tumor hyperplasia were existed in renal tubule in H group. The level of HDL-C in the L, M and H group were separately (1.7±0.09) , (1.5±0.07) and (1.3±0.1) µmol/L, which were all significantly lower than that of control group ( (1.9±0.2) µmol/L) (P<0.05) . The activity of cholinesterase (CHE) in the L, M and H group were separately (918±14.8) , (828±28.6) and (674±36.5) U/L, which were all significantly lower than that of control group ((1056±28.8) µmol/L) (P<0.05). Moreover, The level of creatinine (CRE) in the L, M and H group were separately (29.8±4.6) , (28.9±5.3) and (25.8±6.2) µmol/L, which were all significantly lower than that of control group ((30.2±3.9) µmol/L) (P<0.05). In the H group, the enzyme activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the contents of total bilirubin (TBIL), glucose (GLU) and uric acid (UA) were all significantly higher than the results in control group. The results of 1H-NMR metabolomics showed that the contents of lactate, glycine, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and phosphatidylcholine in blood of rats would decrease by TCEP exposure, while N-acetylglycoprotein, acetate, alanine, glucose, lipids, lipoproteins and fatty acids would increase.@*Conclusion@#TCEP caused disorders in endogenous energy metabolism, leading to the pathological changes of inflammatory cells infiltration and necrosis in liver and kidney, caused enzyme activity changes of ALT, ALP and the content changes of other liver and kidney injury-related markers.
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AIM: To study the suppressive effect of glycogen synthase kinase-3β( GSK-3β) knockdown by RNA interference on the formation of keloid .METHODS:Human keloid fibroblasts ( KFB) in vitro were transfected with 3 pairs of specific GSK-3βsmall interfering RNA (siRNA).The best siRNA to inhibit the GSK-3βexpression in human KFB was screen by RT-PCR and Western blot .The expression of GSK-3βand related proteins at mRNA and protein levels in the KFB was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot .RESULTS: The GSK-3βsiRNA1434 remarkably inhibited the expression of GSK-3βat mRNA and proteins levels in the human KFB .After transfection with GSK-3βsiRNA, the protein levels of β-catenin, p-GSK-3β, Wnt2 and cyclin D1 were all decreased.KFB growth became slow.With the extension of time, the inhibition of cell growth increased , and the cell doubling time was significantly delayed .CONCLUSION:siRNA targeting GSK-3βefficiently knocks down the expression of GSK-3βin the human KFB, and inhibits the activation of Wnt signaling pathway , thus inhibiting the growth of keloid .GSK-3βmay be a potential therapeutic target for keloid .
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Objective To study the expression of WWOX and C-JUN in keloid and to approach their role and mechanism in the pathogenesis of keloid.Methods Immunohistochemical SP methods were used with computer pathological image analysis.Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-RCR) were performed to detect the expression of WWOX and C-JUN in keloid and normal skin with statistical analysis.Results In keloid,the expression of WWOX protein was located in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts,and the expression of WWOX protein and its mRNA decreased,with significantly statistical difference (P＜0.05) compared to normal skin in the control group; the expression of C-JUN protein was located in the cell nucleus and cytoplasm of fibroblasts,with increased expression of C-JUN protein and its mRNA,with significantly statistical difference (P＜0.05) in comparison to normal skin in the control group.The expression of both was negative correlation (r=-0.626,P＜0.01).Conclusions Both WWOX with low expression and C-JUN with high expression are keloid-related genes,having significantly negative correlation between them,which may be one of the mechanisms for the keloid formation.It indicates that the WWOX protein may be an inhibitory factor to the expression of C-JUN protein,and the genes may play a major role in the pathogenesis of keloiod through fibroblasts.
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Objective To evaluate the application of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in diagnosis and screening of thalassemia. Methods Automated HPLC was used to measure HbF and HbA2 in 100 genetically diagnosed thalas-semic patients and 35 normal children. The results were compared with those from traditional tests including alkali denaturation test and cellulose acetate electrophoresis. The diagnose accordance rates, sensitivity and specificity were compared. Results Seventy-fourβthalassemia, 64 were heterozygous with single mutations and 10 were compound heterozygous with double muta-tions. Twenty-sixαthalassemia, 25 were compound mutations and one was heterozygous with single mutation. The HbF percent-age from HPLC was higher than that from alkali denaturation tests in either thalassemia or normal children (P<0.01). HbF level from HPLC inα-thalassemia was signiifcantly different from that in the normal children (P=0.011). The percentage of HbA2 from HPLC was higher than that from cellulose acetate electrophoresis (P=0.010). HbA2 in the single heterozygousβ-thalassemia were twice higher than that in the double heterozygous mutatedβ-thalassemia (P<0.01). The combination of HbF-HbA2 (≥4.0%) from HPLC with MCV (<80 lf) and MCH (<27 pg) had high accordance rates (99.3%), sensitivity (99.0%) and speciifcity (100.0%) in diagnosis of thalassemia. Conclusions When the results of HPLC are combined with MCV and MCH, it can be applied to the diagnosis of thalassemia with high speciifcity, high sensitivity and has high diagnostic accordance rate with genetic results. HPLC can be an ideal approach to screenβthalassemia.
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Objective To study the expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E(eIF4E)in the pathological scars and its probable role in the pathogenesis of pathological scars.Methods Immunohistochemiscal technique was performed to detect the expression and distribution of eIF4E protein in hypertrophic scars(14 cases),keloids(25 cases),mature scars(20 cases)and normal skins(20 cases).Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to detect the eIF4E mRNA level in hypertrophic scars(7 cases),keloids(8 cases),mature scars(8 cases)and normal skins(8 cases).Results Thepositive rate of eIF4E protein expression was remarkably significant difference between normal scars and pathological scars(P＜0.05).The level of eIF4E mRNA in pathological scars 1.73±0.31was higher than that in control group 0.99±0.28.There was significant difference between two groups (P＜O.05).Conclusions The expression of eIF4E is increased in pathological scar.eIF4 E expression is closely associated with the development of pathological scar.Therefore,eIF4E overexpression may play an important role in the proliferation of fibroblasts and in the pathogenesis of pathological scar.